The Thief, the Mercenary, and the Man with the Bird Tattoos
by sociallyawkward22
Summary: A little while after the events of The Lost Legacy, Chloe and Nadine find themselves in a new adventure in Iceland- exploring ruins as well as relationships.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi. This is my first fic, so bear with me here. In my personal opinion, the first chapter of this is kinda weak writing wise. Im trying to edit the next chapters so they flow better. Might take awhile, might not. Anyways, enjoy.**

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 _Doth vaunt of Hecla, whose sulphureous fire_ _Doth melt the frozen clime and thaw the sky;_ _Trinacrian Etna's flames ascend not higher - Thule,Thomas Weelkles_

"Set the charges."Chloe whispered to her partner.

"You'll distract?"Nadine whispered back.

"Just a thief checking out other thieves and criminals."Chloe responded.

The two were sneaking into a party for archaologists in the home of an artifact collector to steal,well, an artifact. It was a ring, to be exact. A key to secret passages in an underground cave in Iceland that would lead them to —hopefully— the lost island civilization of Thule. Nadine was in charge of the smoke charges, which would cause commotion during the party and give Chloe enough time to sneak out and steal the ring. Chloe had to blend in enough to make her seem less obvious.

"And who might you be?"A voice asked behind Chloe. She turned around.

"Chloe Frazier. Collector of antiquities, and finder of artifacts.." She repiled,glancing at the short but fit woman in front of her.

The woman paused, deep in thought. "Did you have something to do with the Cinntimani Stone?"

"Well it was mainly Nathan Drake."Chloe laughed."But hey, you were right."

"Rosaline Zarconi."The woman introduced herself."Married and partners with Miguel Zarconi."

"Hmm."Chloe sipped her drink. "Im not super familiar with your work im afraid."

"Oh, I'm an archaologist. Husband owns an army. This Is our estate, by the way."

"Oh, its lovely."A few awkward moments past before Chloe spoke again.

" An army? Is it for hire, like Shoreline?"

"I suppose so." Rosaline scowled." Damn that Nadine Ross. Gives the whole business a bad rep. She was hired by some insane rich guy, to illegally search an island to find some pirate place. Then she disappears after losing the pirate colony to a couple of thieves." Rosaline took a long drink from her glass."Her actions have made the rest of us in the business look bad. The whole private army industry is declining, and its all her fault."

Slightly uncomfortable, Chloe excused herself. She recieved the text from Nadine saying she was ready to activate the charges. Chloe ran towards the hallway where they hoped treasure was located, and waited for a boom.

Suddenly people were screaming, running from the hallway. Smoke was filling the room. Chloe smiled, then ran towards the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe coughed and gagged.

"Why did you put charges in the hallway?"She asked Nadine angrily.

" I didn't! It must be someone else."Nadine and Chloe both grabbed their guns as they edged towards the door, trying their hardest not to gag from the dust particles floating in the air. They moved as slowly as time allowed, remembering that time was what they had very little of. Nadine opened the door.

A shadow moved on the wall towards the display shelves. It shrunk down, next to what appeared to be another shadow. Two people, probably men. Chloe pointed her gun at one of them. Nadine aimed for the other.

"Stand up if you want to live" Nadine spat.

The figure started coughing. It stood up,back to figure rose beside it, this one was not coughing,but was holding a gun. Chloe lowered her gun immediately.

"If I'd known you two would show up, I wouldn't have blown up the whole goddamn place!" The first figure turned around, no longer lowered her gun.

"You're a dirty old man, Sullivan." Chloe said as she hugged Sully. He said something, but Nadine couldn't hear it. It was probably a private joke only two thieves would get .the other figure, who now lowered his gun, made his way over to Nadine.

"Miss Ross." It said, perhaps sarcastically.

"Don't call me that." Miss Ross - Nadine - jabbed the figure with her elbow."Why is it always you Drake brothers?"

The figure, who was infact Sam, let out a short laugh. He didn't really know what to say at that accusation. It was quite awkward for the pair of them. Sam checked his watch. Nadine watched.

Suddenly remembering how little time they had, Nadine grabbed her partner and began searching the shelves. Sam soon followed.

"We gotta find it before Zarconi realizes its gone." Chloe ran to a shelf and began searching. Sully lit a cigar and joined the search.

"What, are they working with us now?" Nadine asked Chloe angrily.

"Yeah, wondering the same thing." Sam hollered from the nearby shelf.

"Not helpful." Nadine hollered back.

"Oh. I'm not helpful?Who saved your life-"

"Godammnit just shut up!You two are like 5 year olds!" Sully growled.

"Less talking, more working." Chloe added. They worked in silence, throwing priceless artifacts this way and that.(Sully slipped a few small ones in his pockets.)

"Well, this looks right," Chloe held up the small ring.

"It better be right because we don't have much time!" Nadine reminded her distracted partner."Move!"

The four of them ran for the window. Rosaline appeared in the doorway, dishelved and holding a gun.A tall muscular man, presumably her husband,stood beside her. Nadine growled, and reached for her gun. She would have succeeded in killing them if Sam hadn't grabbed her arm.

"Dont kill them at their party!" Sam shouted."Just go!"

Noticing that both Chloe and Sullivan were out of the window and running towards a car, she let out a frustrated scream and hopped out of the window. Sam followed, and they ran towards the car.

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IM GETTING BETTER OK IT GETS REAL NICE IN THE THIRD CHAPTER. Im slowly improving ok

-Author


	3. Chapter 3

"Go!Go!Go!" Sam urged Chloe on. Chloe floored it.

Once she had lost the Zarconi's, she pulled into a nearby motel. She reserved two rooms. Nadine and Sam had argued the entire time until Sully had threatened to 'goddamn' kill them. Chloe was tempted to force them in a room together, but she decided against it because of Nadine's death glare. The girls waved goodbye to the boys at the elevator. Once inside the hotel room, Chloe decided to test Nadine's patience. Looking back at it, it wasn't one of her brightest ideas.

"Hey, China? Just a question, why do you hate Sam so much?" Chloe asked, a gleam in her eye.

"What kind of question is that?" Nadine scoffed.

"He's saved your life, you've saved his life, yet you both act as though you're each arseholes."

"ja, he's ass. He and his brother were responsible for the deaths of almost all of my men

He also acts all innocent all the time, like he isn't actually a theif and a murderer."

"Yeah, but Sullivan's a thief and a murderer, we're theives and murderers...We're literally a business built on thieving for Christ's sakes..."Chloe trailed off. Nadine wasn't really listening to her. She was just smirking to herself as she unpacked. Suddenly it dawned on Chloe. She rolled her eyes.

" What's that face for?"Nadine finally noticed.

"Oh, you know." Chloe shrugged, wondering how long she could pursue this topic of conversation

"You think I like him." Nadine threw a pillow at Chloe.

"Like who?"Chloe caught the pillow and set it down." What are you, a 12- year-old-girl?"

Nadine snarled." You know damn well who I mean. And you're wrong. I despise him. And even if I didn't, I wouldn't tell. Remind why we are working with him again? Was once just not enough? Are you doing this on purpose?ARE YOU?"Nadine scowled, her nostrils flaring.

"Woah, okay, someone has trust issues. We could use another person to help in case we run into more trouble with the Zarconi's, which is destined to happen. Plus, Sully has a plane and can get us around.I'm not doing it to annoy you."

"Sure feels like it."

"You know, its more fun when you lighten -"

"Live longer, I know. You're not my mum, you don't have to nag me."But Nadine had calmed down for now. Both women took their turns getting ready for bed in the bathroom, for it was now rather late at night. Chloe turned off the light by her bed, and Nadine did the same. In a nearby room, both Sam and Sully did similar routines, both ending with putting a certain something into an ashtray. The only ones not sleeping peacefully were the Zarconi's.

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This one was fun to write. Not my best, but getting closer. Leave a review if you want. (Please do)

-Author


	4. Chapter 4

*Flash forward a few days, now inside of the ancient ruins they unlocked with the ring.*

" Now that the Zaroconis know what the ring can do, they will stop at nothing to kill you." Sully's voice crackled over Sam's radio."At least now you have the map. I'll land below the cliff outside. You three head over and try not to get blown to hell."

"Thanks Victor." Sam turned off the radio. He started to move away from the crumbling supports they were hiding behind towards the exit,when Nadine grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"What the hell are you doi-"

Nadine silenced him and pointed towards the ruin's entrance. A group of soldiers emerged.

"What do you want us to do?" One asked into his radio.

"Kill them." Rosaline's voice echoed throughout the stone structure.

Without a moment to lose, Sam, Chloe, and Nadine moved silently towards the exit, pausing to hide behind crumbling supports or the remains of furniture. Once their was a soldier behind one of the supports,but a punch to the face by Nadine and a good head bashing by Sam quickly removed the obstacle.

They soon reached a point, however, where the supports were gone and any movement would alert the soldiers to fire. Luckily, they had reached a patch of overgrown grass they could hide in. Still, Chloe hesitated to run. Nadine grabbed a pebble and threw it behind them, away from the entrance. The soldiers didn't fall for the trick and immediately noticed them.

"Over there, in the grass!" Gunfire soon followed.

"Run!" Chloe yelled. The three were dodging bullets left and right. Chloe was almost at the entrance. Until-

Nadine let out a scream of agony . Chloe turned around to see her fall to the ground. Chloe watched with concerned eyes as Sam stopped and scooped Nadine up, then started running. Chloe felt a stinging pain in her arm. It obviously wasn't as bad as Nadine's, but Chloe could feel a trickle of blood on her hand. She turned back and continued running. They were going to make it.

Now they were outside again, and Sam could see in the clear daylight the extent of Nadine's wound. She was trying to make the best of the situation, still firing her gun at the enemy. Sam couldn't help himself. He chuckled quietly, he was holding Nadine like a she was a bride. Nadine was thinking along the same lines. Perhaps that's why she continued shooting even as Sam was climbing into the plane. Ross was never the damsel in distress.

"Did you grab the map?" She asked Sam.

"No."

 _Her eyes narrowed._

 _"_ I'm kidd-OW!"

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*sing-songy way* Its short and the punctuation is bad

*Jean-Ralphio voice* At least the story's _mov_ ing

Im sorry


	5. Chapter 5

"That was close." Sully said as he pulled the doors shut behind Sam and Nadine.

"Too close." Chloe said, glancing at Nadine. Sam set her down on the seat as the plane ascended, with the echoing sounds of bullets hitting the walls. Chloe inspected her arm. She was still bleeding. It looked as if a bullet had grazed her arm. She'd be sore for a while and would definitely have a scar, but she'd survive.

Nadine inspected her wound. Rather, the bloodstain forming on her pants where the bullet had hit. She could feel the bullet still in her leg.

"We should bandage that." Chloe indicated the wound.

"Ja." Nadine grunted. Then she glanced at Chloe's arm. " We should bandage that, too."

Chloe reached for the first aid kit Sullivan kept under the benches in the plane. She pulled out a roll of gauze and handed Sam a black tourniquet. He immediately bent down to Nadine's leg and began to wrap her leg.

"Let me help." Nadine offered. She took the gauze from Chloe and began wrapping her arm. She paused and winced as Sam worked on her leg. She quickly wrapped the gauze on Chloe. She winced as she did so.

"You look close to kicking him." Chloe nearly laughed. Nadine finished with Chloe's arm.

"I am close to kicking him!" Nadine responded, in a half- joking, half- painful manner. Sam began to twist the tourniquet. All laughter in Nadine disappeared. She let out an agonizing shriek and kicked Sam in the crotch. Hard.

" Oh God HOLY SHIT!" Sam shrieked as he doubled over in pain.

"Jesus Christ!" was all Chloe could say.

"What the hell is going on back there? "Sully hollered from the cockpit. No one answered him.

"Sorry" was all a panting Nadine could say as Sam regained composer and finished the tourniquet. He patted her on her shoulder, then stood up to clean his own small cuts and bruises. Nadine drifted into a peaceful sleep induced by the blood loss.

"We have to take her to a hospital." Chloe whispered to Sam. Sam just looked at Nadine, a glimmer of concern in his eyes. He nodded his head in agreement. The next time Nadine would wake up, she would be in a hospital bed with IV lines hooked up to her. Sullivan would be sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, reading a newspaper and chewing on a pen.


	6. Chapter 6

*two days after previous chapter*

This whole week had been a bust, Nadine decided as she fiddled with the buttons on her hospital bed for the 500th time that day. She glanced over. Sullivan was dozing in the chair beside the hospital bed. She knew that he'd much rather be off with Chloe and Sam, but she was thankful for the company. Perhaps it was the medication, or maybe it was her extreme boredom, but somehow she was suddenly worrying about Chloe and Sam.

 _Are they dead?_ The thought echoed around her head. Probably not. _What happens if they are?_ Thoughts of how she and Sullivan could be blamed by Nate flooded into her mind. She had learned that Chloe and Nate's wife had also been rather close, and wondered how that would affect her.( Nadine didn't hate Elena, just the Drake brothers) Nadine decided it was the painkillers that were making her think about this. So she distracted herself by watching Icelandic daytime television.

" _How fast will she recover?"_

" _We're going to leave the bullet in, it isn't causing any internal damage"_

" _I know how bullet wounds work. Cut to the chase."_

" _Calm, Victor."_

" _I am calm. It just that Nadine slowly bleeding out."_

" _Sorry, he's had a bad day."_

" _recovery will probably be one-two months."_

" _Shit."_

" _Godamnit."_

Fractions of the conversation between Sullivan, Chloe, Sam, and the doctors stuck in Nadine's mind. Two months was a lot longer than she wanted to stay. At least she wasn't dead, she reminded herself. She turned back to the TV.

*Thule, same time*

Chloe inserted the ring into the slot, and waited with her fingers crossed. The door slowly slid open, letting her know she completed the trial correctly and that no one would die. She and Sam ventured forward, stopping to admire various architectural masterpieces. Even the floor was nicely decorated with patterns carved into the shiny black obsidian. Chloe would have preferred to stay and just look at the patterns for hours., but she had more important things to do.

They were nearing the final chamber. Just up the stairs, across the balcony, and through the two doors in front of them, and then all of the secrets of Thule ( and all the riches) would be revealed to Sam and Chloe. Various statues littered the balcony. It really was a shame no one thought about Thule anymore; even the statues gave off an aura of majesty. As they began the climb up the rickety stone steps, a large group of soldiers appeared.

"Guess who just decided to drop in," Sam hissed through gritted teeth. He grabbed Chloe's arm and pulled her up the stairs as quietly and as fast as they could be. They ducked behind one of the many statues

" Chloe, if you have any grenades left, we can blow that group up over there , and probably the other group over there - Chloe are you even listening to me right now?" Sam whispered rapidly. " Hello?" He waved a hand in front of her face. She blinked.

"Sorry Sam," Chloe whispered back. But she was still distracted by the scribbles on the statue in front of her. They appeared to be in English. She learned forward to examine them as Sam sighed in exasperation.

"We can't hide behind here forever you know."

" Just give me a minute?" Sure enough, the scrawl was in English. _Press here for enemies._ A small arrow pointing to a vaguely cross- shaped carved detail on the statue's clothing followed. Chloe pressed it.

"Whoa, Chloe, what the- the hell you doing?"

The patterns on the floor began to move. Twisting and opening, and swallowing up all who were on the floor and sending them to their doom in the remains of a volcano. If the magma and heat didn't kill them, the toxic gasses certainly would.

The floor twisted back into place with a loud and drawn out squeal. Only those who had managed to jump onto the stairs survived. Chloe glanced around the room, looking at the survivors. Rosaline was not one of them. Miguel however, did survive.

"FIND AND KILL THEM!" Miguel roared in a fit of rage.

"I guess being built into a volcano has its perks," Chloe whispered to Sam. The ghosts of the dead disagreed.


End file.
